North Korea's Two-State Theory and the Notion of Peaceful Coexistence
By Sung-Yoon Chung [Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU)]
► Kim Jong Un's "Two-State Theory" signals North Korea's shift from unification rhetoric to legitimizing permanent division as a strategic response to internal and external pressures.
► The Two-State Theory undermines peace by perpetuating conflict through nuclear armament and ideological isolation, mirroring the confrontational approach of Soviet-era "peaceful coexistence" and legitimizing North Korea’s authoritarian regime.
► Responding to North Korea's Two-State Theory under the guise of peaceful coexistence merely entrenches division and perpetuates a nuclear-armed dictatorship, as true peace requires a unified, denuclearized Korea founded on liberty and human rights.
